


Just a little game

by eisneRiegan



Series: Housemate AUs [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21786922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eisneRiegan/pseuds/eisneRiegan
Summary: Claude and Sylvain got into a ridiculous heated competition.Dimitri asked Byleth to stop them.
Series: Housemate AUs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570345
Kudos: 20





	Just a little game

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick one before the holidays

"Guys, please stop." Byleth begged her two tenants tiredly one evening. She had received a call for help from the third tenant, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, that the two of them won't stop playing against one another.

Apparently, they have been at it since morning.

"Well, I would gladly stop if someone would just admit defeat." Sylvain replied, glaring at Claude. There was a noticeable small red spot on their foreheads, as if been smacked hard many times over with something.

Claude only scowled at his direction. "Ha! As if I'd do that. But it would be better if you admit your defeat because face it, I've been winning two times to your one."

"Excuse me, but that was only for the last five rounds. We're still on equal footing!"

Byleth heaved a sigh, turning to look at Dimitri. He had recently moved in since he wanted some little independence from his overly doting father, Lambert, but his father won't let him live totally on his own.

And so he ended up living with Sylvain who happens to be his childhood friend and someone Lambert trusts (to an extent) to keep Dimitri alive until he realize he can't really live far from home.

Joke's on Lambert though, since living with Sylvain and his housemate Claude (that Dimitri realized they were related through their great-great-grandfathers who were cousins), Dimitri loves his newfound freedom and that no one would actually eat saghert and cream behind his back.

(Though it also means that he'll never know it was Lambert eating them and not Edelgard, his step-sister whom he had wrongfully accused before.)

The third bedroom has been remodeled from being a dangerous playground for two overgrown children to a fully functional and comfortable bedroom for Dimitri.

Who then filled it with a lot of portable gym equipments.

The Eisners were worried that his stuff might break the flooring, especially if he suddenly drops it. But Dimitri did assure them that he's always careful with those equipments.

Well it's better than dangerous chemicals, they figured. At least repairing the floor or any part of that room would only take a couple of hundreds, with zero trip to the hospital or zero visit from the concerned local house inspector, compared to having a fire or poisoning happening within their perimeter.

And besides, he won't be careless since he knows Sylvain's bedroom is right underneath his while Claude's is just at the end of the hallway on the third floor. The only thing Dimitri is going to pout on is that Claude has a direct access to the bathroom from his side of the room while Dimitri has to exit his own and walk across the hallway.

It's hard to know if someone's using that bathroom because of the double access (Claude had once forgotten to lock the other door that Dimitri has access to and the poor blond saw him in his naked glory which was the main reason of the bathroom problem).

They had reached an agreement that Claude will not use the door to the bathroom in his bedroom (he does though, when he knows Dimitri is fast asleep).

Sylvain does not like sharing the bathroom on the second floor. Dimitri thought it's because he brings women over and uses the bathroom for their own pleasure (Claude attested that Sylvain did that once but at least have shame and did not do it again for the sake of Claude's ears), but it was also because Sylvain prefers to take long bubble baths to relax on his day offs.

And does not like being bothered by someone banging on the door because they need to use the toilet.

As for their dangerous toys, they had to make a shed out at the shared backyard with the Eisners and made sure their stuff are properly stowed away and the door locked at all times.

They don't want any dangerous chemicals spilling or starting unnecessary fire or poisoning after all.

"How did this started, Dimitri?" she asked him, ignoring the other two who are still arguing.

"I'm not really sure how it started. They were already calling out the tallies of their wins and losses since I arrived from work..."

Byleth rubbed her temple, looking back at the two.

They were normally quiet, and would stop whatever idiocy they are doing when she asks.

But tonight seems to be different.

They are really having quite a heated competition.

"Guys, please stop, I mean it. You all still have work tomorrow. You don't want to be late for a Friday workday, right?"

"I'm on leave." Claude replied. "Until Tuesday."

"I'm on leave too, until Monday." Sylvain added. "Come on, Claude. Just admit defeat and we can finally call it a day."

"If you're tired, you're allowed to admit defeat so that you can rest."

"Never."

"Just how many leaves do you people have? I didn't know hospital employees are allowed to have a long break..." Byleth muttered. Being a part time professor, part time model and full time babysitter for their tenants (because gods above, they have a mindset of five year olds when left alone), left her with not much rest time at all. The only reprieve she gets is her bi-monthly hiking.

With them, because she can't trust them on their own since that microwave plasma experiment. At least she's keeping them fit and healthy.

She even misses out at times her nail salon appointments because she has to keep the boys in line. Which can take a few minutes or a few hours, depending on what kind of stupid they're doing.

And tonight, she is missing out on the season four premiere of her favorite fantasy show written by renowned screen writer Bernadetta von Varley, where the characters of Ferdinand von Aegir and Petra Macneary were begrudgingly cooperating with one another for the sake of Dorothea Arnault's character's survival.

In all honesty, Byleth doesn't know which one of them she supports as Dorothea's partner because they both look good with her, and also because how well written their character stories are.

But Byleth is leaning towards to Petra's character, with how the two of them were written: a princess and her loyal maid who'd do anything behind the scenes to make sure the reckless princess is still alive by the end of the episode. 

Ferdinand's character felt like he was added to be that character where they build up relationship so that their eventual marriage will not be questioned by the end of season four perhaps. But there's still chemistry and with a relationship that has a foundation of friendship for how many episodes/seasons, they will still make a good pair in the long run.

It will also make a new standard of relationship on mainstream shows where they just put together two characters who have bad to zero dynamics whatsoever and then make them fall in love for no reason other than "the script said so" and because some fans demanded it.

Hopefully they don't stop the show where they marry, because that's going to be quite disappointing.

No matter what food Claude makes for her or no matter how good the foot massage Sylvain will give her as their form of apology, it will not make it up to her for missing the premiere.

"Sorry, Teach, but this is going to take quite a while." Claude told her as they prepared to continue their game.

"Yeah, sorry Professor." Sylvain added. Byleth held up a finger at that.

"You're not even my students. At least my students listens to me. So don't you dare call me that if you won't listen to me when I say you stop whatever you are doing."

Her words fell onto deaf ears as Claude and Sylvain carried on playing.

Byleth sighed tiredly again, reaching out to hold onto Dimitri's shoulders with her head hung low in defeat.

"Please kill me." she told him, making Dimitri stare at her in horror.

"I could never do that, Miss Byleth!"

"Then kill them."

"Miss Byleth, I could never kill my housemates."

"Then please knock them out and haul them to their bedrooms."

"I never would have thought that you have such...destructive tendencies, it's kind of surprising."

Byleth looked at him imploringly, making Dimitri a bit uncomfortable for he can't really say no to that sad face.

But killing his childhood friend and a distant relative doesn't really sit well with him.

And killing the daughter of the overall owner of the duplex they're staying at will not bode well for anyone.

Knocking them out, however, seems feasible. Though he worries that he might hit them too hard and break something.

Byleth looked back at the two idiots playing aggressively in a distance, flicking each other on the forehead when one loses.

"How can a game of scissors, paper, rock last for hours?" she asked no one in particular.

"I have been asking the same thing." Dimitri told her, looking at Sylvain and Claude who are now sneering at each other, taunting the other to give up. "Though I guess they did take a rest for a couple of hours earlier...I hope."

Byleth straightened up, putting her hands on her hips, and looked at the two adults who are giving her a headache.

Channeling her inner professor, she started scowling at them, ready to reprimand them.

Since simply telling them off didn't work, and telling them that they're on their last round will not work at all judging from their competitiveness.

She just have to make them both lose at the same time.

And she knows exactly who's going to be their executioner.

"Hey boys." she interrupted them.

The three men inside the room turned their attention to her, with Claude rubbing his forehead gingerly with a thumb after getting flicked by Sylvain.

"I'll play along with you. If I win against both of you at the same time, you will stop this nonsense after your punishment."

Claude and Sylvain blinked at that, glancing at one another.

Is it worth it?

They have already pushed her patience so many times, they're not sure anymore when she will snap and kick them out.

But this looks safe enough to take the bait.

"Sure, okay." Sylvain answered her, shrugging. "But we're not going to go easy on you."

"Of course you won't." Byleth muttered under her breath as she walked closer to them, shaking her right hand.

Claude grinned at that. "Sorry Teach, but you can't win against us."

"And since when did this become a two on one? Each person will stand for themselves alone. And Dimitri's the one who will flick the loser's forehead."

Sylvain and Claude stared at her for a moment, calculating the risk, giving each other a glance. Dimitri only turned his attention to her.

"Why me?" 

"They know your strength. If they get flicked by you, they will finally stop this ridiculous game."

"If you say so."

Byleth curled her right hand into a fist, raising it. Dimitri came closer to them, frowning as to why she suddenly joined them instead of making them stop.

The redness on their forehead looks really...raw and painful to the touch.

Dimitri hopes that Byleth will not fall into their stride of competitiveness and will stop as soon as she won. Or lose.

Whichever comes first.

"Scissors–"

"–paper–"

"–rock!"

The three of them showed their hands.

Paper for Byleth.

Scissors for Sylvain.

Rock for Claude.

"Damn it." Byleth muttered. She had hoped to end this ridiculous game in one go. Sylvain and Claude grinned at one another, knowing that they got her.

Dimitri sighed in defeat, sitting down on the sofa, watching them with his elbow propped up on one leg and his head resting on his hand.

They went again.

"Scissors–"

"–paper–"

"–rock!"

Everyone showed scissors.

"Scissors–"

"–paper–"

"–rock!"

Everyone showed rock.

"Scissors–"

"–paper–"

"–rock!"

Paper for Byleth.

Scissors for Sylvain and Claude.

"Oh no." Byleth said softly. 

Oh no indeed as she glanced at Dimitri who straightened up on his seat.

"You know you could just...let them do it instead of me." Dimitri suggested. "I'm sure Claude and Sylvain will take it easy."

"No, I have to abide by the rule I have set down." Byleth said firmly, pushing her bangs up with one hand. "Just get it over with."

Dimitri sighed as he stood up from his seat.

"Go easy on her, Dimitri." Sylvain told his friend with a frown as Dimitri stood in front of Byleth, his fingers at a ready to flick her forehead.

"I'll...try."

"Don't just try." Claude told him. "Do go easy on her. She easily–"

SMACK!

Claude and Sylvain flinched at the sound that Dimitri's flick made on Byleth's forehead. Claude looked over at Byleth who seems to be teary eyed but holding back on voicing out the pain.

Her forehead's red, like theirs, after one hit and that made the two of them put their hands up in the air in defeat.

"I...I am so sorry!" Dimitri immediately said, panicking because it looks like Byleth is about to cry.

"Yep, okay, we're stopping now." Sylvain said. "I'm going to get some cold compress for all of us."

"Yeah, my finger are all tired too. Not to mention my arms." Claude added, putting an arm around Byleth and checking on her forehead. "Man, Dimitri. I told you to go easy on her."

"I did!" Dimitri replied indignantly. "And why are you too close?"

Byleth gently pushed away Claude with her shoulder when he started playfully pinching her cheeks in an attempt to cheer her up.

Sylvain returned with three small cold gel compress he always have in the refrigerator in case of an emergency ever since Dimitri started living with them.

The blond tends to over work himself and Sylvain has to look after him. Normally Dimitri only complains about the puffiness and itchyness of his eyes, so Sylvain purchased the gels for a quick solution for it.

On a good day though, Claude's the one looking after Dimitri's skincare. He would give the blond a good facial care, putting cold cucumbers over Dimitri's tired eyes alongside a sheet mask that will take care of that dry skin of his.

Sylvain also gets a treatment from Claude when his housemate is in the mood to look after their looks but he prefers the eye masks alone.

But that's a story for another day.

The four of them sat down on the sofa, with three people holding cold gel compresses onto their forehead.

"I hate the two of you." Byleth told Sylvain and Claude who only chuckled at that.

"Nah, you love us." Sylvain winked at her.

"Maybe next time we could play monopoly. I'm sure I'll win against all of you." Claude told them.

"You're forgetting that Dimitri has the upper hand when it comes to business games."

"You're forgetting that business degrees have nothing to do with a monopoly game."

"That confidence is going to be your downfall Claude. I grew up with Dimitri and have played a couple of games with him."

The doorbell rang and Dimitri stood up to get it. He was surprised to see Jeralt standing there with a frown.

"Is my daughter in here?"

"Er, yes sir..."

Byleth looked over at the door, putting the gel pack down.

"Oh, hey Dad."

"Don't 'oh hey Dad' me. I've been wondering what's taking you so long. Dinner's already done."

"Sorry, but these two idiots kept me..."

"Well, get up from there and come home." He told her firmly. He then looked at Claude, Sylvain and Dimitri. "And you three can have dinner with us."

Claude and Sylvain jumped up from their seat at that.

"Of course!"

"We'll be right behind you."

They followed Byleth out of their duplex, who's trailing behind her dad. Dimitri locked their duplex's front door and caught up with them.

"What happened to your foreheads?" Jeralt asked them, noticing the already faint redness on their forehead thanks to the cold compress. They entered the Eisners' duplex and went to the dining room.

"Oh, just a little game..."

"Yeah, a game five year olds would quickly drop after a few rounds..." Byleth muttered.

"But you played with us, so that makes you a five year old too."

"Oh shut up, Sylvain."

Jeralt raised an eyebrow at that, seeing his daughter's scowl and her little action of rubbing her forehead.

Well, at least his daughter have some friends in their neighborhood. It's better than letting her hang out too much with Manuela down the street, who has an unhealthy habit of drinking alcohol too much.

He would have preferred to have female tenants but Claude and Sylvain got to their listing first, and having a licensed medical person at hand is so much better than having a flight attendant who tried to replace their good stuff in that duplex with their own bad ones so they could "complain" about how bad it is and reduce their rent.


End file.
